"Now that the PS Vita has officially reached the end of its lifecycle, I think it's time to admit that Sony's handheld console was a bit of a misstep," says Nathan Spendelow, from the technology website Expert Reviews.

"While the hardware initially represented a turning point for Sony, it struggled to achieve the same level of critical acclaim as Nintendo's DS family of portable gaming systems."

The years since the Vita's launch also saw an explosion in mobile gaming, with smartphones and tablets becoming powerful enough to run graphically intensive apps.

Although the Vita rolled out with high-profile titles such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Assassin's Creed III: Liberation and LittleBigPlanet PS Vita, the beginning of the end came when Sony announced in 2015 that it would stop making its own games for the Vita - deciding to focus instead on titles for its PS4 console.

In 2018, Sony said it would cease physical production of Vita games and that 2019 would be the final year the device was manufactured.

A home for indie developers

Even though blockbuster games all but vanished from the console, the Vita "found a niche as a home for indie developers and with Japanese gamers", according to Stefan Langford, editor of games website TheSixthAxis. He cites the Bafta-award winning games Thomas Was Alone and OlliOlli as examples.

"They usually weren't exclusive to the Vita but there was something about indie games that often clicked on Vita more than on PS3 and eventually the PS4. It's something we're seeing again with indies flocking to Nintendo Switch," says Mr Langford.

But despite its niche appeal, the Vita ultimately failed to live up to Sony's expectations, he adds.

While the PS Vita has been consigned to history, Sony is believed to be readying a new games console. Last year, company president and chief executive Kenichiro Yoshida told the Financial Times that it was "necessary" for Sony to work on next-generation hardware. He declined to say whether this machine would carry the name PlayStation 5.